


Wind-Up

by maggs689



Series: Rookie Year [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Infidelity, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 07:25:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18361367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maggs689/pseuds/maggs689
Summary: Travis falls in love with Nolan over the course of Nolan's rookie year.





	Wind-Up

Travis remembers the moment he saw Nolan for the first time - not on tv at the draft, where he looked like a kid dressed up for church. The first time he saw Nolan in person. Nolan’s hair was short and ruffled by the breeze in the Flyers Skate Zone parking lot, and the morning light turned it a red gold. Travis didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone so beautiful.

Travis held this moment close, ignoring the ache in his chest when he thought about Nolan at night. Nolan, who’d end up in the bed next to his on the road and a few floors upstairs from him at home, Nolan in the next stall in the dressing room. Travis loved him, but he knew that Nolan never would be his.

Of course, there was Nico. Nolan mentioned him right away, that Nico was only an hour and a half away. Travis didn’t say anything then, but he knew how far away that really was once the season started, with their punishing schedule and all of the travel. Starting in October, Travis knew that Nolan wouldn’t have any breathing room in his rookie year for Nico. Travis could work with that.

By the time the season started, Nolan was spending all of his time with Travis, inhaling takeout after late games and then falling asleep on his couch. Travis found himself pulling a blanket over Nolan most nights, leaving the bathroom light on in case Nolan got up in the middle of the night and forgot where he was. Most mornings, he found Nolan in the same position, still dead asleep, drooling on the pillow.

 

_October 2017_

After a depressing loss at home, Nolan paced around Travis’s apartment while Travis flicked through Netflix. Travis wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on Nolan’s phone conversation but he did hear Nolan congratulate Nico on his first two goals, and then Nolan’s stuttering surprise at the loud party in the background and how quickly Nico got swallowed up by the noise before hanging up. Travis clicked faster through the Netflix menu and didn’t look at Nolan when he flopped down on the couch next to him with a sigh.

"I sort of didn’t think it would be this hard,” Nolan mumbled. There was a long pause. Travis fiddled with the remote, waiting for Nolan to continue. “At the draft, I don’t think we realized.”

“Now you know why I’m single,” Travis joked, hoping to distract Nolan, maybe make him laugh.

“That’s not why you’re single,” Nolan deadpanned, gesturing at the holes in Travis’s sweatpants and the stretched out neckline of his Team Canada t-shirt.

Travis threw the remote at him. “You pick the movie, smartass.” He leaned back on the couch with a small smile. “And not _You’ve Got Mail_ again.”

 

_November 2017_

Over the next few weeks, Nolan grew quieter. Travis didn’t think that was possible.

Nolan got a concussion and had to stay home from two road trips. Travis sat on the plane, staring out the window and wondering if Nolan missed Travis’s jokes and running commentary as much as Travis missed Nolan’s eyerolls and mutterings. Travis wondered if Nolan ever thought about him.

When Travis was back home, he tried everything to pick up Nolan’s spirits. He let himself into Nolan’s apartment uninvited and threw open the curtains, trying to bring a little light into Nolan’s sadness cave. Travis used the mild November weather as an excuse to get Nolan to leave his apartment and get some fresh air for a change. They wandered down to Rittenhouse Square, pausing to watch a dog walker struggle with a dozen large dogs. “The dog walker looks like Hak trying to get us to focus during practice,” Travis joked. Nolan smiled at Travis but Travis knew that Nolan’s eyes were blank behind his sunglasses. He dragged Nolan into a coffee shop, and then a bookstore, where Nolan stood turning a book over in his hands.

“Did you forget how to read,” Travis joked.

“At least I knew how to read in the first place, unlike some people,” Nolan snapped, but there was a fondness behind it. Travis could work with that.

Travis took the book from him. “Poetry?” He looked up at Nolan, who rolled his eyes away. “No, man, this is a wallow. We’re going drinking.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting outside drinking beer after beer, until Nolan was tipsy and laughing at Travis’s jokes again. But later, back at Travis’s apartment, Nolan tried to call Nico to congratulate him on his third goal and his frown came back.

“Voicemail again?” Travis asked quietly.

“They’re on the road,” Nolan shrugged, his voice flat, emotionless.

 

_December 2017_

Nolan came back from his concussion with a heavy set to his brow and a new anger simmering under the surface. He wasn’t scoring and he got pissier with every passing game, but at least there was a fire in his eyes. Travis could work with that.

On the road in December, Travis stood outside their hotel room, waiting until Nolan was done talking to Nico on the phone to go in. Or, not talking. He was shouting, actually. Travis had never heard Nolan shout, except during games and even that was more of an aggressive mumble. This was proper shouting. Nolan was unloading on Nico.

Travis put his ear up against the door but he couldn’t hear much. Eventually Nolan’s voice grew calm and then it was quiet. Travis held his breath and listened until Nolan opened the door and Travis fell into the room.

“Oh hey, Patty,” Travis tried to say casually from the floor.

Nolan rolled his eyes and went back into the room. “Did you enjoy eavesdropping on that?”

“I didn’t hear anything, I swear. You’re such a marble-mouth.” Travis saw Nolan grin a little. “But uh, yeah, I hope everything’s ok.” Travis sat on the edge of his bed and looked at his phone, knowing that Nolan would only share if Travis didn’t seem interested.

“I guess.” Nolan was quiet for a moment. “We’re going to see each other next month so we’re sort of on hold until then, which I guess is fine.”

“Is it?”

“I don’t know. I have a weird feeling that something’s going on. He’s like, distracted?” Nolan looked over at Travis. “And remember when we were watching highlights earlier? That hug after Hallsy scored, I don’t know. I feel crazy but I can’t stop thinking there’s something there.”

Travis’s stomach twisted with discomfort. He wanted to tell Nolan that his instincts were probably right. Everyone had seen Hallsy and Nico and they definitely were not just teammates. He wanted to tell Nolan to find someone better, that Nolan deserved someone who would love him more than anyone else in the world - and that person was already in his life, sitting on the bed next to his. Nico wasn’t shit compared to how much Travis loved Nolan.

“Did you ask Nico about it?” Travis said quietly.

“No, I chickened out.” Nolan collapsed back on the bed and put his hands over his face. “Ugh, what is wrong with me.”

 _Nothing, you’re perfect_ , Travis thought to himself as he stared at Nolan and then he flopped back on his own bed.

 

_January 2018_

After a game in Newark, Travis went home on the bus with the rest of the team while Nolan went to meet Nico for dinner. Nolan left the dressing room with a slightly queasy look on his face. He looked so sensitive that Travis didn’t even have the heart to chirp him about using protection.

Travis was surprised to hear Nolan let himself into Travis’s apartment a little after one a.m. that night. “Patty?” he called from the couch where he had been nodding off in front of ESPN.

Nolan stood in the doorway, face drawn and pale. “I...uhh,” Nolan started, his voice thick with emotion. “I think it might be over.”

“Ok, I got you,” Travis hustled Nolan over to the couch and then bustled into the kitchen, emerging a minute later with two pints of ice cream and two spoons. “Rocky road or espresso chip?”

“Both,” Nolan grumbled, pulling off his shoes and jacket before unbuttoning his shirt and flinging himself down on the couch.

Travis settled in next to Nolan and they ate ice cream quietly for a few minutes, dipping their spoons into both pints. Travis focused on digging the marshmallows out of the rocky road ice cream and tried to strike a casual tone. “So, do you want to talk about it?”

“It was just so awkward, like we didn’t know each other at all.” Nolan put down his spoon and laid back, his hands on his face. “We ended up talking about how difficult rookie year is, and I was talking about my concussion but I guess he thought it would be a good time to float the idea of seeing other people.”

“Oh man,” Travis groaned through a mouth of ice cream. “What did you say?”

Nolan flung his arms out in exasperation. “I didn’t say anything! I just got up from the table and got in an Uber and that was it.”

“That was it,” Travis echoed.

“UGHHH,” Nolan shout-moaned. “I’m sure he’s already fucking Taylor so this is sort of a relief? Like we can stop pretending that we’re still together.” Nolan pulled off his socks and threw them across the room. “We never should have done this in the first place, you know? God, my mom was right.”

Travis snickered.

"I’m serious. After the draft, she sat me down and told me about how she was still dating her high school boyfriend when she went to college and met my dad and she should have gone into the next phase of her life with a clean slate. It was so embarrassing.”

Travis made a face. “Do you think your mom cheated on her boyfriend with your dad?”

“I do _now_ , Travis, thanks a lot.” Nolan shoved Travis’s shoulder playfully. “But I guess now I’m the high school boyfriend and Taylor Hall is my dad?” Nolan put his head in his hands. “I’m such a mess.”

“No worries, man,” Travis said, “that’s why I have the ice cream.”

“You’re a really good friend, Trav.” Nolan looked at Travis for a long moment until Travis looked away.

“Hey, do you want to watch a movie?” Travis asked. “We can watch _You’ve Got Mail_.”

“Ok,” Nolan scooted closer and put his head on Travis’s shoulder.

Travis pulled a blanket up over both of them and started the movie. Nolan was asleep within a half hour, so Travis sat there with Nolan’s hair tickling his neck and watched the ice cream melt. He tried not to breathe in the scent of the cologne that Nolan had put on for Nico.

 

_January 2018, Part 2_

On the last day of the All Star break, Nolan and Travis worked out in the morning and then went for beers and burgers at a place near their apartments in the afternoon to watch a Sixers game. While they sat at the bar eating, Travis’s phone chimed. He opened the team group chat to see that fucking G had shared a picture of Nico and Taylor holding hands in an airport. They looked tanned and relaxed and Nico was looking at Taylor with a smile on his face. Travis yelped and nearly dropped his phone.

Nolan, chewing, looked over at him. “What’s wrong with you,” he mumbled with his mouth full.

Travis picked up his beer and started drinking, figuring that he didn’t have to say anything as long as he was chugging. That brilliant plan was foiled when Nolan picked up his own phone. Nolan’s face fell into a grimace at the picture.

“Patty, I’m sorry,” Travis started, but Nolan got up and grabbed his jacket, throwing a handful of twenties on the bar and bolting for the door before Travis could finish.

Travis slugged down the last of his beer, waved an apology at the bartender, and followed Nolan out the door. Nolan was already halfway down the block when Travis caught up with him.

“Patty, slow down,” Travis shouted.

Nolan came to an abrupt stop on the corner and wheeled around with a wild look in his eyes. “Like, I _knew_ this was happening but I didn’t have to see it like this!”

“I know, it’s not fair.”

“ _Not fair?_ It’s fucking rude, Travis. I’m miserable and these two look like they’re on their fucking honeymoon. I’m sick of feeling like this.” Nolan flung his phone into a nearby trash can. “I’m going to check Hallsy into the fucking ground when I see him next week.”

“Patty, c’mon, that’s an iPhone,” Travis whined.

Nolan turned and started walking away. “Leave it, I’m done.”

 

_February 2018_

Nolan had been in a mood ever since seeing the picture of Nico and Taylor together, at one point throwing a remote at the tv and breaking it when Devils highlights came on.

Now the Devils were in town for their last game against the Flyers and Travis was worried. Before the game, Travis got Hallsy’s number from G and texted, “Keep your boy away from Patty tonight and stay away from me.” Then he blocked him. Travis hoped that would take care of it on that end.

Before warmups, he pulled Nolan aside and told him that he had taken care of Hallsy, that Nolan should focus on his game and nothing else. Nolan nodded quietly and hugged Travis a little longer than usual, muttering a quiet “thanks Trav” into his shoulder.

The game was exhausting. The Flyers lost and Travis spent more of his time tracking Nolan, making sure he didn’t get near Nico or Taylor, than he did tracking the puck. After the final horn, Travis stopped by the trainer’s room to get some balm for his knee and then headed to the Flyers’ dressing room. He saw Nico in the hallway outside, slumped against the wall. Inside the dressing room, Nolan was throwing his equipment into the bins with a little more force than was necessary.

“Hey, Patty?” Travis said.

“I know he’s out there.”

“Do you want me to go scare him away?” Travis offered.

“No, he’ll leave eventually,” Nolan sighed and sat down hard in his stall. Travis sat down next to him. “We all should go out tonight. I’m in the mood to drink a lot.”

Nolan wasn’t kidding. That night, he was all over the club, talking to everyone and doing more shots than Travis could count.  

Provy talked to Travis by the bar, but Travis had just spotted Nolan on the dance floor, leaning close to a tall guy with gym-perfect muscles and skin-tight pants. The guy was talking in Nolan’s ear and Nolan’s arm was draped over his shoulder. Travis couldn’t pull his eyes away from Nolan, his head thrown back to laugh at something the guy said. Travis’s stomach turned when the guy licked - _licked!_ \- up Nolan’s neck and kissed his earlobe.

“Teeks, what’s wrong,” Provy said, eyes wide at the look on Travis’s face. He followed Travis’s line of sight and saw Nolan. “Oh man, somebody’s making a move on your boyfriend over there.”

“What, no,” Travis said, and it sounded unconvincing even to him. “He’s not my - I just - who _knows_ who that guy is and Nolan is really vulnerable right now-”

“Yeah, and now he’s leaving with him.”

“What?” Travis shouted. “Oh shit.” He shoved his glass at Provy and started pushing through the crowd to intercept Nolan at the front exit.

“Hey, Patty,” Travis yelled over the crowd and the music.

“Trav, hey,” Nolan slurred, his eyes glassy. “This is Greg, we were just leaving.”

Travis ignored Greg’s attempt to shake his hand. “Patty, seriously, are you ok?” Travis grabbed Nolan’s arm, but Nolan wriggled out of his grasp.

“You’re not my boyfriend,” Nolan said, indignant. Greg was pulling him out the door. “I’m allowed to do what I want!”

Travis slumped back to the bar. Provy came up to him and slung an arm around his shoulders. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“How about ten?” Travis sighed and put his forehead down on the bar.

An hour later, after pouring his heart out to Provy, Travis headed home. He decided to stop by Nolan’s apartment on the way to his just in case. When Travis came out of the elevator and turned down the hallway toward Nolan’s apartment, he saw Greg charging toward him.

“What the fuck?”

Greg bumped his shoulder hard as he went by. “He’s all yours,” he muttered.

Travis sprinted the rest of the way to Nolan’s door. Nolan was standing in the open doorway, his hair loose around his shoulders and wearing only a small pair of black boxer briefs. When he saw Travis, he launched himself at him, wrapping his arms around Travis tightly. “Oh, thank god you’re here,” Nolan sobbed.

“Are you ok? What did he do to you?” Travis was so panicked that he almost didn’t notice that a mostly-naked Nolan was pressed up against him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Nolan pulled him into the apartment. He went over to the couch and wrapped himself in a throw blanket like a cape. “You were right about Greg,” he sighed. “We were hooking up and in the middle of it he tried to get me to smoke crystal meth with him.”

“ _What?!?_ ” Travis squeaked.

“Yeah, it was fucked up. He got sort of angry about it. So I kicked him out.”

“If I ever see that guy again, I swear-”

“It's my fault. I’m pretty drunk and I shouldn't have brought him back here.” Nolan looked down at his hands. “I’m glad you came to check on me.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I was being overprotective. Even if you did need it.”

“Apology sort of accepted.” Nolan smiled at him. “Would you stay with me tonight? I’m pretty rattled.”

“Sure,” Travis said, “I’ve slept on your couch like a hundred times before.”

Nolan looked a little shy. “I meant, in my bed with me?” He stood and held his hand out. Travis took it and let Nolan lead him to the dark bedroom. Nolan crawled into bed and Travis stood there for a second, wondering if he was jumping to conclusions.

“Are you coming?” Nolan asked, already sounding sleepy.

Travis kicked off his shoes and stripped down to his boxers before slipping into bed next to Nolan. “‘Night, Patty.”

Nolan reached over to take Travis’s hand again. He slid close and lightly pressed his lips to Travis’s, and then rolled away. “‘Night, Trav.”

 

_April 2018_

They never talked about it, but since that night in March, Travis had slept in Nolan’s bed every night. Travis didn’t want to ask Nolan what was going on - why Nolan seemed to assume that Travis would sleep with him - in case he jinxed it. So every night, he slipped into bed next to Nolan and, every night, Nolan cuddled close to him and fell asleep while Travis stared at the ceiling, wondering what the fuck was going on.

Some nights there was more. Some nights Nolan wanted to put his head on Travis’s chest to fall asleep, or kiss his neck and sleepily grind against Travis’s leg as he sighed in Travis’s ear. Every time this happened, Travis tried to remember to hold back, knew that if he pushed Nolan over onto his back and kissed him hard like he wanted to, the spell would break. So he moved slowly, touching Nolan’s cheek lightly, kissing Nolan back but not too much.

The season ended and the Flyers traveled to Pittsburgh for their first playoff game. Nolan was more nervous than Travis had ever seen him. Travis had never played in a playoff game either, but he was trying to fake it for Nolan’s sake. In bed the night before Game 1, Travis held Nolan close, smoothing his hands over Nolan’s hair until they both fell asleep. The Flyers lost.

The night before Game 2, Nolan hardly ate anything at dinner and was quiet all night. As they got ready for bed, Travis decided he should sleep in a separate bed. He brushed his teeth and got undressed, and then started turning down the covers for his own bed.

"What...what are you doing?” Nolan was already in the other bed. He looked terrified. “No, Trav, please sleep here tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Travis asked. “I don’t want you to have any trouble sleeping tonight, it’s too important.”

“I’m sure,” Nolan said, serious.

Travis turned out the light and got into bed next to Nolan, who immediately slid close to him and spread his hand over Travis’s stomach and tucked his chin in the crook of Travis’s neck.

“I need you here,” Nolan whispered, “tomorrow’s too important.” Nolan pressed a kiss to Travis’s shoulder. He slid his hand from Travis’s stomach to the waistband of his boxers, murmuring, “Is this ok?”

Travis held his breath and nodded, suddenly embarrassed at how hard he was at the prospect of Nolan touching him.

Nolan slid his fingers under the waistband, skimming Travis’s abdomen and lightly touching Travis’s cock. He nibbled on Travis’s earlobe and said, quietly, “You can touch me too, you know.”

Travis exhaled in surprise. “Patty, I -”

“No, let’s not talk about it, please.” Nolan kissed him. Travis’s head swam with the smell of Nolan’s hair damp from the shower and Nolan’s touch and the way his tongue was exploring Travis’s mouth. Everything, the way Nolan moved against him, soft and angular, quiet and beautiful. The way that Nolan came in his hand with a gasp and the soft drag of Nolan’s tongue on his cock. The way that Nolan curled up next to him after and circled his fingers on Travis’s hip, making goosebumps rise on Travis’s skin.

The next morning Nolan was calm, his eyes clear. He scored that night and the Flyers won Game 2.

They didn't win another game until Game 5. They shared a few beers to celebrate that night when they got back to Philadelphia, mindful that they had to get back to work the next day. They got into Nolan’s bed a little tipsy, Nolan giggling and wrestling Travis onto his back and pressing kisses down his stomach.

Travis pulled Nolan up to kiss him. Travis felt his chest tighten when Nolan straddled him and rolled his hips to grind into him. Nolan looked down at him, eyes dark, and touched Travis’s face. “Do you…I umm, I got condoms and uhh,” Nolan whispered.

“Yeah,” Travis said, heart racing. “If you want to?”

Nolan kissed him then, all the confirmation Travis needed to slide his hands down to cup Nolan’s ass, feel the heft of it, imagine himself there. He rolled Nolan over onto his back and started slowly, kissing every inch of him, twice, before taking Nolan in his mouth and sliding down, down until Nolan arched up into his mouth.

He couldn’t believe that Nolan let him touch him like this, let him lick his hole and press his tongue inside. Nolan was so quiet that Travis worried that something was wrong, but when he looked up, he saw Nolan had his head thrown back. “Don’t stop, please,” Nolan gasped.

“No?”

“More, please.”

So Travis used his fingers, feeling Nolan tighten and then release, letting him in slowly, gripping around him. Travis didn’t want to stop, wanted to see where this would end up, but he needed to fuck Nolan before he lost his mind or Nolan changed his.

He kept Nolan on his back, bent Nolan’s long legs up over his shoulders, and sank slowly, holding Nolan’s hands. The pleasure, the slow pressure of it, was excruciating, and Travis couldn’t tell if he had been inside Nolan for a minute or an hour when he finally bottomed out, hips tight against Nolan.

Travis started moving, slowly and then building a rhythm, the sweat beading on his chest and dripping onto Nolan, filthy and writhing beneath him. Nolan was moaning, his voice rough and thick like he had been screaming all night. “You feel so good,” Travis groaned.

Nolan looked so beautiful that Travis had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment so he wouldn’t get carried away. He felt Nolan quivering around him and knew that he was close, that they both were, and that he was losing control of all of this. He buried his head in Nolan’s shoulder, inhaling Nolan’s hair and the smell of sex on him, dizzy from it. Nolan arched up again, coming between them and clenching down on him, sobbing out Travis’s name.

Travis’s hips stuttered and he came, moaning, “Patty, god, I love you, Patty, I love you.”

Travis knew it was a mistake as soon as he came down and saw the look in Nolan’s eyes, the one that said that he had crossed a line and scared Nolan away for good. Nolan pulled away and was quiet, feigning sleep even though Travis could hear him quietly crying into his pillow. Travis laid there next to him, unable to comfort him or say anything. He had ruined their friendship and any chance that Nolan would think of him as something more than a friend.

They lost Game 6 two days later and their season was over.

Nolan avoided him after the game, getting through the media gauntlet at clean-out day and leaving before Travis could even try to talk to him. Back at their apartment building, Travis learned from the doorman that Nolan had already packed up his things and left for the summer without saying goodbye. Travis sat on his couch in the dark and drank the rest of the beer in his fridge, too sad to cry.

 

_July 2018_

Travis trudged back to his cabin at dusk, back aching from crouching in a duck blind for nearly 10 hours with nothing to show for it. The sun was in his eyes as he approached the cabin and he squinted at the figure standing by the door - a tall man with long hair - and thought that he looked an awful lot like Nolan.

Nolan, who he hadn’t talked to since April. Nolan, who pulled away when Travis said “I love you.”

Travis got closer and saw it was Nolan, wearing a pair of salmon pink shorts and a tank top, hair messy around his shoulders, lit red by the sun setting behind him.

“Hey,” Nolan said, voice low. Travis could barely hear him over the whoosh of the wind in the trees.

Travis set down his gear and put his hands on his hips. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

Nolan shifted back and forth, looking uncomfortable. “Can we talk?”

Travis brushed past him and went into the cabin, leaving the door open behind him. Nolan shuffled in, looking uncomfortable. Travis went to the fridge for a Gatorade and threw one to Nolan. “What are those pink shorts, man?” Travis asked, hoping that if he could still chirp Nolan he wouldn’t start crying.

“They’re Nantucket red,” Nolan said, the corner of his mouth turning up.

“They’re fucking stupid,” Travis shot back. “I’m taking a shower. We’ll talk after.”

Travis showered slowly, trying not to think about how beautiful Nolan had looked in the sunlight, how he didn’t know a man could be that beautiful. A year of loving this man, a year of heartbreak. Now Nolan was here, sitting on the ratty couch in his cabin and staring down at his hands.

“Are you going to say anything? Like, why you’re here?” Travis said. He could hear how angry he sounded.

Nolan looked lost. “I really miss you.”

Travis huffed in response. “I’m not the one who fucked off and left Philly without saying goodbye.”

“I know,” Nolan nodded, “I was really upset about a lot of stuff and just bolted.” Nolan paused. “That’s not an excuse for why I didn’t say goodbye to you. I know I handled it wrong. But so did you.”

Travis sat back on the couch, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. “Excuse me?”

“How long did you have feelings for me before we...before you said that?” Nolan sounded exasperated, like this wasn’t going how he intended.

Travis stood up and moved across the cabin, turning away from Nolan. “How long were you going to make out with me before you told me what the fuck was going on with you?”

“Trav, I don’t know,” Nolan said. Travis turned back to look at Nolan and saw that he was crying. “I just wanted to be close to you. But every time I started thinking about what it meant I couldn’t breathe. I was still really fucked up over Nico-”

“Oh, fuck you,” Travis shouted. “So Nico cheated on you. That doesn’t mean you can treat me like shit.”

“I…,” Nolan shook his head, “I didn’t mean to treat you like shit. When you said what you said, I wanted to say it back. I just couldn’t.”

“Ok, well, this has been great.” Travis said, going over to the door and opening it, gesturing to Nolan to leave. “Thanks for this recap.”

“Trav, please come sit down,” Nolan said.

“I don’t know what you want, Patty.”

Nolan came over and shut the door. He put his hands on Travis’s shoulders. “I want to tell you that I love you back.”

Travis stared at Nolan, silent for what felt like forever.

“Did you hear me? I love you back?” Nolan looked uncertain.

“Who said I still love you,” Travis said, jutting his chin out. “Maybe I got carried away. We were fucking and maybe I didn’t mean it, maybe I’m over it now.”

Nolan dropped his arms. “Is that true?”

Travis felt himself tearing up. “No,” he whispered.

“No?” Nolan had a small smile on his face, a tiny ray of hope breaking through.

Travis pulled Nolan close and put his forehead against Nolan’s chest. “No, I did mean it. I still do.”

Nolan cupped Travis’s face in his big hands and beamed down at him. “I’m so lucky to have you. You’re my best friend and I never would have gotten through this past year without you.” Nolan kissed him sweetly, wrapping Travis in his arms. “I’m going to tell you I love you every day.”

“Promise, Patty?”

“Promise.”

Travis could work with that.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to cry about these idiots in love: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvj6PE3gN4o


End file.
